The National Party is to investigate disestablishing the Department of Corrections and re-incorporating it into the Ministry of Justice, National Party Leader John Key announced today.

"National has lost confidence in Corrections to meet its core responsibilities effectively, in light of the Burton and Ashley tragedies, the $490 million prisons construction budget blowout, rehabilitation failures, serious staff morale issues, the huge contraband problem, and the 101 other disasters of recent years.

"So today I am announcing that National's caucus has charged Corrections and Justice spokesman Simon Power with looking at folding this very dysfunctional department back into the Ministry of Justice.

"National takes law and order very, very seriously. The question we're asking is whether this portfolio will be better represented by a senior minister with oversight and accountability for Corrections and Justice?

"When polls show that only one third of New Zealanders have trust and confidence in this department, it is clear something drastic has to be done.

"It has lurched from crisis to crisis, to a point where we even have the Minister and the Chief Executive disagreeing over its effectiveness.

"Corrections operates in a culture of denial and finger-pointing at others when things go wrong.

"Every time there is an incident like the Burton fiasco, New Zealanders look to the Government for answers, but all they get is a chain of buck-passing and fob-offs.

"They are more interested in ticking the right boxes than ensuring the public is adequately protected."